Agent skill

Zig Build System

by mohitmishra786 in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills

Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Zig Build System

skills CLI
$ npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill zig-build-system -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills zig-build-system --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zig/zig-build-system .claude/skills/zig-build-system && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
zig-build-system
GitHub stars
252
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
152 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
138
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

  • Works in 8 steps: Project initialization → build.zig structure → Libraries → …
  • Debugging build.zig files
  • SKILL.md covers Purpose, Triggers, Workflow and Related skills
  • Reaches github.com

What it does

Zig Build System is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects. Use when writing or debugging build.zig files, adding executables or libraries, integrating C source files, configuring build-time options, running tests with zig build test, or managing build.zig.zon package manifests. Activates on queries about build.zig, b.addExecutable, addCSourceFiles, b.option, zig build, build.zig.zon, or Zig package management.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/build-zig-patterns.md`).

It sits in Development. The repository describes itself as: A curated suite of AI agent skills for systems and low-level programming with C/C++, Rust, and Zig toolchains, covering compilers, debuggers, profilers, build systems…. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Debugging build.zig files
  • Adding executables
  • Integrating C source files
  • Configuring build-time options

Example prompts

  • “/zig-build-system”

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Project initialization
  2. build.zig structure
  3. Libraries
  4. Adding C source files
  5. Build-time options
  6. Module system
  7. Package management with build.zig.zon
  8. Custom build steps

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit bdc5847. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are zig and bash).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • github.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Zig Build System loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.1k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 106 tokens; SKILL.md has 152 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~106
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~3.1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills at commit bdc5847, republished under its MIT licence (© mohitmishra786). 152 words, ~1,779 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/zig-build-system/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
zig-build-system
description
Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects. Use when writing or debugging build.zig files, adding executables or libraries, integrating C source files, configuring build-time options, running tests with zig build test, or managing build.zig.zon package manifests. Activates on queries about build.zig, b.addExecutable, addCSourceFiles, b.option, zig build, build.zig.zon, or Zig package management.

Zig Build System

Purpose

Guide agents through writing build.zig files: executables, libraries, C source integration, build options, test configuration, and build.zig.zon package manifests.

Triggers

  • "How do I set up a build.zig file?"
  • "How do I add a C library to a Zig project?"
  • "How do I define build-time options in Zig?"
  • "How do I run Zig tests with zig build test?"
  • "What is build.zig.zon and how do I use it?"
  • "How do I add a Zig package dependency?"

Workflow

1. Project initialization
bash
# Initialize a new project
mkdir myproject && cd myproject
zig init          # creates src/main.zig and build.zig

# Build
zig build

# Run
zig build run

# Test
zig build test
2. build.zig structure
zig
const std = @import("std");

pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
    // Standard options (--optimize, --target)
    const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
    const target = b.standardTargetOptions(.{});

    // Executable
    const exe = b.addExecutable(.{
        .name = "myapp",
        .root_source_file = b.path("src/main.zig"),
        .target = target,
        .optimize = optimize,
    });

    // Install step (zig build → copies to zig-out/bin/)
    b.installArtifact(exe);

    // Run step (zig build run)
    const run_cmd = b.addRunArtifact(exe);
    run_cmd.step.dependOn(b.getInstallStep());
    if (b.args) |args| {
        run_cmd.addArgs(args);
    }
    const run_step = b.step("run", "Run the app");
    run_step.dependOn(&run_cmd.step);

    // Test step (zig build test)
    const unit_tests = b.addTest(.{
        .root_source_file = b.path("src/main.zig"),
        .target = target,
        .optimize = optimize,
    });
    const run_unit_tests = b.addRunArtifact(unit_tests);
    const test_step = b.step("test", "Run unit tests");
    test_step.dependOn(&run_unit_tests.step);
}
3. Libraries
zig
// Static library
const lib = b.addStaticLibrary(.{
    .name = "mylib",
    .root_source_file = b.path("src/mylib.zig"),
    .target = target,
    .optimize = optimize,
});
b.installArtifact(lib);

// Shared library
const shared_lib = b.addSharedLibrary(.{
    .name = "mylib",
    .root_source_file = b.path("src/mylib.zig"),
    .target = target,
    .optimize = optimize,
    .version = .{ .major = 1, .minor = 0, .patch = 0 },
});
b.installArtifact(shared_lib);

// Link library into executable
exe.linkLibrary(lib);
4. Adding C source files
zig
// Single C file
exe.addCSourceFile(.{
    .file = b.path("src/legacy.c"),
    .flags = &.{ "-std=c11", "-Wall", "-Wextra" },
});

// Multiple C files
exe.addCSourceFiles(.{
    .files = &.{
        "src/a.c",
        "src/b.c",
        "src/c.c",
    },
    .flags = &.{ "-std=c11", "-O2" },
});

// Include directories
exe.addIncludePath(b.path("include/"));
exe.addIncludePath(.{ .cwd_relative = "/usr/local/include" });

// System libraries
exe.linkSystemLibrary("curl");
exe.linkSystemLibrary("ssl");
exe.linkLibC();  // link libc (required if calling C stdlib)
5. Build-time options
zig
pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
    // Boolean option
    const enable_logging = b.option(
        bool,
        "logging",
        "Enable debug logging",
    ) orelse false;

    // Enum option
    const Backend = enum { opengl, vulkan, software };
    const backend = b.option(
        Backend,
        "backend",
        "Rendering backend",
    ) orelse .opengl;

    // Integer option
    const max_connections = b.option(
        u32,
        "max-connections",
        "Maximum concurrent connections",
    ) orelse 64;

    // Pass to Zig code as compile-time constant
    const options = b.addOptions();
    options.addOption(bool, "enable_logging", enable_logging);
    options.addOption(Backend, "backend", backend);
    options.addOption(u32, "max_connections", max_connections);

    exe.root_module.addOptions("build_options", options);
}

In Zig source:

zig
const build_options = @import("build_options");

pub fn main() void {
    if (build_options.enable_logging) {
        std.debug.print("Logging enabled\n", .{});
    }
}
bash
# Pass options on command line
zig build -Dlogging=true -Dbackend=vulkan -Dmax-connections=256
6. Module system
zig
// Create a module (reusable across targets)
const mymodule = b.addModule("mymodule", .{
    .root_source_file = b.path("src/mymodule.zig"),
});

// Use module in executable
exe.root_module.addImport("mymodule", mymodule);

// Share module between exe and tests
const utils = b.addModule("utils", .{
    .root_source_file = b.path("src/utils.zig"),
});
exe.root_module.addImport("utils", utils);
unit_tests.root_module.addImport("utils", utils);

In Zig source:

zig
const utils = @import("utils");
const mymodule = @import("mymodule");
7. Package management with build.zig.zon
zig
// build.zig.zon
.{
    .name = "myapp",
    .version = "0.1.0",
    .minimum_zig_version = "0.13.0",

    .dependencies = .{
        .zig_clap = .{
            .url = "https://github.com/Hejsil/zig-clap/archive/refs/tags/0.9.1.tar.gz",
            .hash = "1220...",  // Run zig build to get the hash
        },
        .known_folders = .{
            .url = "https://github.com/ziglibs/known-folders/archive/refs/heads/master.tar.gz",
            .hash = "1220...",
        },
    },

    .paths = .{
        "build.zig",
        "build.zig.zon",
        "src",
        "LICENSE",
        "README.md",
    },
}
zig
// build.zig — use the dependency
const clap_dep = b.dependency("zig_clap", .{
    .target = target,
    .optimize = optimize,
});
exe.root_module.addImport("clap", clap_dep.module("clap"));
bash
# Fetch dependencies (creates zig-cache/packages/)
zig build    # auto-fetches on first run

# Zig will print the hash if missing — copy it into build.zig.zon
8. Custom build steps
zig
// Code generation step
const gen_step = b.addSystemCommand(&.{
    "python3", "scripts/gen.py", "--output", "src/generated.zig",
});
exe.step.dependOn(&gen_step.step);

// Custom install step
const install_config = b.addInstallFile(
    b.path("config/default.toml"),
    "share/myapp/config.toml",
);
b.getInstallStep().dependOn(&install_config.step);

For advanced build.zig patterns, see references/build-zig-patterns.md.

  • Use skills/zig/zig-compiler for single-file builds and compiler flags
  • Use skills/zig/zig-cinterop for C library integration in build.zig
  • Use skills/zig/zig-cross for cross-compilation in build.zig
  • Use skills/build-systems/cmake when embedding Zig into a CMake project

© mohitmishra786, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/zig/zig-build-system of mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/build-zig-patterns.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit bdc5847

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Categories

Questions about Zig Build System

What does Zig Build System do?

Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects. An agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Zig Build System is an agent skill from mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills. Zig build system skill for multi-file Zig projects.

When should I use Zig Build System?

Zig Build System fits situations like: debugging build.zig files; adding executables; integrating C source files; configuring build-time options.

How do I install Zig Build System in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill zig-build-system -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/zig/zig-build-system in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .claude/skills/zig-build-system in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Zig Build System in Codex?

Run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill zig-build-system -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/zig/zig-build-system in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills) into .agents/skills/zig-build-system in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Zig Build System in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills --skill zig-build-system -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/zig-build-system, .gemini/skills/zig-build-system, .github/skills/zig-build-system and .opencode/skills/zig-build-system in your project.

What does Zig Build System need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Zig Build System is instructions for the agent only.

Does Zig Build System access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. In commands or code: github.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Zig Build System safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Zig Build System use?

Zig Build System is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Zig Build System use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.4k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Zig Build System?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Zig Build System: Vercel Composition Patterns (supabase/supabase, 111k stars), Finishing a Development Branch (obra/superpowers, 297k stars), Typescript Advanced Types (rolling-scopes/rsschool-app, 10k stars) and PR Babysitter (openinterpreter/openinterpreter, 69k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Zig Build System?

mohitmishra786 (a GitHub user) maintains it in mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills, which has 252 GitHub stars. The repository holds 138 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 27, 2026.

Source: mohitmishra786/low-level-dev-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.